Mother and boyfriend charged with beating death of 5 year old son

HARRIMAN, Tenn. (WVLT) A five year-old boy is found dead in Rhea County and officers have charged the boy's mother and her boyfriend with child abuse and first degree murder, saying he was severely beaten.

5 year-old Landon Robbins was found Friday afternoon, after dispatch received a call of a child not breathing. According to a news release, Landon was found inside the Rhea County home of Jessica Robbins, 29, and her boyfriend Bradley Adcox, 22. Both told police that Landon had fallen from a swing.

Landon's father, Gerald Wells, who thought he had left his only son in safe hands, spoke out and said this should have never happened.

"He loved to get dirty," Wells said. "He loved to ride his bicycle and four-wheelers and stuff."

Robbins and Adcox now face charges of aggravated child abuse and felony first degree murder and are being held in the Rhea County jail. A news release from the Rhea County Sheriff's Office said that preliminary autopsy results suggest that Landon suffered and died from blunt force trauma.

Landon's grandfather, Jerry Wells, has seen Landon's body at the funeral home. He said that it was obvious that Landon suffered greatly.

"That's just not a sight that anybody would want to see," Wells said.

Gerald Wells said he still can't wrap his head around what has happened to his son, mixed with the thought that his ex-girlfriend is at the center of the investigation.

"There's just no thought...there's none. There's no kind of thought for the actions, for what they done," Wells said as he wrestled with his emotions. "It's just what they done, that's what bothers me."

The Wells family is inviting everyone to a candle-light vigil Friday evening from 8:00 to 10:00 at Riverfront Park in Harriman in honor of Landon.

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